Numerous domains of the industry currently use conveyors or transporters of loads to transfer such loads in the form of parts or containers between work stations or toward storage or packaging or else shipping stations.
Furthermore, the use of this type of conveyor or transporter can be carried out in centers for sorting objects or containers and more particularly returnable bottles.
In general, these conveyors or transporters of loads come in the form of elongated tables that are equipped with motorized rollers, placed perpendicularly to their longitudinal axis and aligned parallel to one another or else in the form of plate chains or flexible-strip belts or toothed belts, and the loads to be transported are simply posed so as to be approximately centered on these conveyors, i.e., the conveyors for rectilinear transfer currently come in the form of two small symmetrical chains.
For transfer in the rectilinear direction, the loads are placed essentially along the longitudinal median axis and are optionally guided on the conveyors or transporters by means of lateral rails. To carry out changes in direction, load deflection devices are provided in the form of individual parts or containers that consist of accessory means that push said loads toward the conveyor or transporter by deflection or gradually bring the loads to said conveyor or transporter by deflection.
In the first case, the devices essentially consist of a set of jack thrusts having a plate or the like, actuated by a jack and laterally coming into contact with the part or the container to be deflected and pushing said part or container on a conveyor or transporter that extends perpendicularly to a first conveyor or transporter.
In the case of a deflection, in a less pronounced angular direction, it is also possible to use lateral thrust means that act successively on the part or container to be deflected to bring it gradually to the conveyor or transporter by deflection.
In the presence of such deflection conveyors or transporters, it is also possible to use intermediate transporters with motorized rollers, of which the different rollers that are joined to the deflection transporter or that rejoin a main transporter are of different dimensions to adapt to the angle of deviation between the transporters.
Finally, in this latter case, the intermediate transporters or conveyors can also be of the plate chain type that can undergo a predetermined angular deflection. However, the use of such intermediate transporters requires specific lay-outs for the connection between the initial transporter or conveyor and the deflection transporter or conveyor.
The deflection devices that currently exist certainly perform their roles more or less satisfactorily but are of relatively complex constitution and operation, which can cause operational problems that have the consequence of completely stopping all of the stations served by a set of conveyors or transporters and frequent maintenance interventions. In addition, the complexity of these deflection devices brings about relatively high installation costs.
Finally, in the case of a transfer of loads in the rectilinear direction, there may arise a problem of holding said loads, in particular when they are of a relatively small size, between two extension conveyors or transporters, whereby said loads run the risk of not being correctly entrained by the downstream conveyor or transporter and piling up at the junction between the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor. A poor arrangement of the loads on the downstream conveyor may result therefrom, due, for example, to said piling up.